John Gotti, Jr. Charged With 1990 Murder

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:54:30 PM EST
Tags: John Gotti (all tags)

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Update: No bail for Gotti.

Looks like I'll be wearing my "Free John Gotti" t-shirt to bed tonight. The Government just can't get enough bites at the apple when it comes to the son of the notorius, deceased mobster.

John A. Gotti has been charged with conspiracy for his role in a sprawling cocaine trafficking operation and in three mob-related killings in 1980s and ’90s, the United States attorney’s office in Tampa, Fla., announced on Tuesday....Mr. Gotti has been prosecuted four times before on charges related to organized crime; he pleaded guilty in the first case but contested the later charges, resulting in three mistrials.

More...

A little history:

In September 2005, after a six-week federal trial that included charges that he ordered the June 1992 kidnapping of Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels and WABC radio talk-show host, a divided jury failed to reach verdicts on three charges — kidnapping, racketeering and extortion and conspiracy — and voted not guilty on a fourth charge of securities fraud.

A retrial on the three unresolved charges ended in a mistrial in March 2006 when, after hearing from more than a dozen witnesses, the jury deadlocked for a second time.

Prosecutors made a third attempt in September 2006, but after a six-week trial, jurors again failed to reach a verdict, though they said they believed Mr. Gotti was guilty of organizing the kidnapping of Mr. Sliwa. At that point, the prosecutors, lacking any new evidence, chose not to try him a fourth time in the case.

More background here, here, here, and here.

This will be another trial with testimony from thugs turned snitches and another colossal waste of taxpayer money.

Note: The t-shirt refers to John Gotti, Sr. -- I got it at the Feast of San Gennaro festival around 1995.

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John Gotti, Jr. Charged With 1990 Murder | 17 comments (17 topical)

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But.... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by NYShooter on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:57:11 PM EST

did he do it?

The real question (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Fabian on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:30:21 PM EST

Did the snitches live?


or did they (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:41:31 PM EST

lie?


There are risks (none / 0) (#7)
by Fabian on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 02:40:09 PM EST

to ratting out your fellow thugs.

Not sure why you go after the snitches anyway. Aren't the prosecutors mainly responsible?


I Don't think (none / 0) (#13)
by Claw on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 04:49:50 PM EST

She's "going after" the snitches so much as pointing out that snitch testimony is just incredibly unreliable.


Then convince the juries of it (none / 0) (#14)
by Fabian on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 05:53:37 PM EST

although it sounds like that's what happened to some extent in the previous cases.

She also makes it sound like the snitches rustle up a sweet deal and ride into the sunset. I wonder what really happens to snitches. The whole story, not just time served.


: That's fair (none / 0) (#18)
by Claw on Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 10:36:39 AM EST

Except that it's very difficult to convince juries that snitch testimony is unreliable. You also have to remember that the defendant is already suffering from the if-he's-charged-he's-probably-guilty bias. If you've got a couple of snitches and a reprehensible crime, you're already in deep trouble. Add some circumstantial evidence to the pot and you're probably going to prison.

I don't believe Jr. Gotti is not in the mafia (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by thereyougo on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:48:24 PM EST

Just on the fact that he lives in a posh section of New York, Oyster , according to the newspaper.
How does he support that lifestyle?

The mafia has long been suspected of conducting its business in secret. They often held meetings in the street to avoid detection from the feds.

What? Deadlocked juries on a mob case?!? (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Exeter on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 02:22:06 PM EST

That MUST mean that the gov had a weak case and DEFINITELY NOT that the mob got to one person on the jury. Get real.

the Godfather... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by desertswine on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 03:20:57 PM EST

Michael: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.

Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.

Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?

You know me d'wine.... (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by kdog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 03:28:43 PM EST

I can hardly tell the difference between the mafia and the govt.

Judging by my limited dealings with both...I'll take the mafia.


Yeah... (none / 0) (#10)
by desertswine on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 03:47:26 PM EST

there's that rispetto e onore thing.


So that means (none / 0) (#11)
by badger on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 04:16:14 PM EST

you're supporting the Chicago outfit's candidate then? Or John McCain?

I'm confused.


Yeah (none / 0) (#12)
by squeaky on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 04:17:05 PM EST

Although, I would never take a favor from the mafia, no matter how minor. Neighborly, and doing a little biz, no problem. The gov, is fine, save for snitch sh*t, and that kind of stuff, although still better than the mob.


: Govt. favors... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 07:56:05 PM EST

ain't free either brother...best to not take favors from either organization. I was strictly thinking along the lines of doing business with...for example, when illegal bookmakers ran the horse action in NYC, they paid better prices and made money themselves. When OTB took over, they payouts got smaller and OTB is in the red. OTB, the only bookmaker in the history of bookmakers to lose money. I rest my case:)

I have no sympathy whatsoever (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by shoephone on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 07:47:53 PM EST

for mobsters and other "connected men", having worked for one about twenty years ago. I was new to town, didn't know who he was, just thought I was getting a job waitressing in one of his many restaurants... Please, these people are scum. And in some cities in the northeast they OWN the politicians.

The Feds.... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:46:13 PM EST

are obsessed with the Gotti name...John Jr. could be a choir boy for the rest of his life and still the g-men would come after him like a pack of dogs.

It appears to be a personal vendetta at this point...